INDIA’S CHANGING ATTITUDES

Compiled/Written by Murali Kamma

November 2012

A striking 79 percent of Indians want to protect
their traditional culture from globalization, with 52
percent saying that the traditional way is being lost, according
to a recent Pew survey. And for 43 percent of
Indians, consumerism and commercialism are the big
threat to their culture.

Nevertheless, 61 percent of Indians firmly support
a free market economy, though a vast majority—81 percent—
also agree that the rich in India are getting richer
and the poor becoming poorer. By a 25-percent margin,
high-income Indians are more satisfied with their economic
situation than are low-income Indians. And 61
percent say that, despite inequalities, there is no better
alternative to a free-market economy. Although 53 percent
believe in a libertarian approach, with no government
interference, Indian pessimism stands out among
the world’s major economies. While 45 percent say the
government is mainly responsible for the economic
woes, 92 percent think the government is primarily
or secondarily to blame. But the public is not off the
hook. Only 17 percent
hold financial
institutions responsible,
but 64 percent
blame the public for
the economic woes.
Unemployment is
the biggest concern,
with corruption,
education, and
pollution appearing further down the list. Among the
many problems bedeviling the nation, traffic and safety
of medicine seem to be the least worrisome.

More urban Indians (58 percent) than rural Indians
(38 percent) have a favorable view of Americans. Indians
don’t think too highly of China or Pakistan; the two nations
return the favor. China and India, in fact, show the
same favorability rating (23 percent) when viewing each
other. The Japanese, on the other hand, have a highly
favorable view (70 percent) of India.

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